Bruce,
I apprenticed as a pattern maker in a foundry and my day job is still in the foundry industry where I run an NDT lab. We use mahogany much of the time for long running jobs, poplar for short ones. The new Renwood/Renshape products are taking over now and what used to be hand made is now chopped out on a 5 axis router.

www.dankoarlington.com

Tony